Disclaimer: NOT a doctor, so if something isn't perfectly accurate, forgive me. If you do have medical knowledge, feel free to share it. I'm always happy to improve.

Chapter 23

~Paved With Good Intentions~

"Jim spoke to Ming Li about b-buying my freedom. At first she refused, but he convinced her somehow. I've been waiting for Phoenix to catch up to us ever since. I'm living on borrowed time, Edward."

Anger and outrage sizzle through me, anchoring somewhere deep inside like a huge, barbed fishhook. I grab Bella's hand and look deep into her eyes. "No, you aren't. Phoenix is."

She yanks her hand away, shaking her head. "No, Edward. Don't get pulled into this. We're not dealing with your average lowlife."

I close my eyes with a sigh. "I'm already in this, Bella. Jimmy saw to that. He entrusted me with your care, and I'm not going to let him—or you—down." I fist my hands and open my eyes.

Bella sits quietly across from me with her head tilted, looking at me like I'm a puzzle she needs to figure out. "But . . . why? Why do you care? Why would you put yourself in danger?"

I shrug. "Jimmy is like family."

"And me?" Bella's words are like fingers jamming into an open wound inside me, one I want to pretend doesn't exist.

"I care about you." I look up at the sky, now an array of stars shining between tufts of cloud cover. I choose my next words carefully. "I realize we don't know one another well, but you mean the world to Jimmy. He's always been there for me." What I don't say is that she's gotten under my skin, that I would protect her even if Jimmy didn't exist. My fascination with her has only grown stronger. I like when her eyes are on me. I liked it when she seemed jealous of Leah. I want her. I'm in hell, and I don't know if there's a way out.

Bella searches my face, and I feel stripped bare by the intensity of her gaze. Just when I can't take it another moment, she nods. "Okay. Thank you, Edward. I can't tell you what this means to us."

This is so obviously not okay, but I have no choice but to carry on. "May I ask a few questions?"

"Sure."

"What the fuck was your father thinking?" The words are out before I can stop and rearrange them into something more polite.

Bella looks down at her clenched hands. "My father was a hard man. He didn't deal much in feelings. He always told me I had to be tough as nails, that I must learn to dominate the world or it would dominate me. Ming Li was someone special to him although I'm not sure exactly what they were to each other. She was supposed to teach me the business, to groom me to someday take her place. Despite what she does, she's not an evil woman, and I know she carries immeasurable guilt for what happened to me."

"You'll have to excuse me if I don't have any sympathy for her." My voice is rough, and I dig my fingers into my thigh under the table, using the pain to stay in control of my temper. "Ming Li and Phoenix need to be held accountable for what they've done to you."

"Key words . . . what was done to me." Bella points at herself. "This isn't for you, or even Jim, to decide. I've already lost control over so much of my life, but I won't have any more power taken away."

"You're right. I'm sorry. Do you know who Phoenix is? Where we can find him?"

"I know he's from a powerful family but not his real name. He's like a ghost—showing up unexpectedly and disappearing just as quickly."

"Does Jimmy know anything about him?"

"No. He's hired private investigators, but they always come up empty."

"What about Ming Li?"

Bella shakes her head. "She would never give up a client. If she did, she'd be signing her own death warrant. This is bigger than me—Jim and I understand that, and you need to as well."

"How big?"

"There is a whole network of powerful, high-profile clients who go to Fire Island. Business moguls, actors, musicians, senators, judges . . . presidents. In the grand scheme of things, my life is worth nothing compared to their need to protect their reputations. I'm simply considered an insignificant whore."

"Don't call yourself that!" I slam my hand on the table, coming out of my chair. I glare down at her. "You are a victim, not a whore."

Bella stares up at me, shock evident on her face. "I've been both," she says simply. "I agreed to be Phoenix's whore. Ming Li warned me. She said once the genie was out of the bottle, there was no corking it. But I wanted him. I fantasized he would realize I was the only one for him and sweep me off my feet, take me away from that high-priced brothel and treasure me forever." A tear slides down her cheek, and she looks down at her lap in shame.

"Bella . . ." I swallow hard.

"I was such a fool!"

I walk around the table and crouch beside her. "Hey—look at me." I put a finger under her chin and tip her face until her eyes meet mine. "You weren't old enough to consent. You weren't old enough to understand what was being asked of you. That's on them, not you."

She launches herself at me, wrapping her arms around my neck and resting her head on my shoulder. "Thank you, Edward." Warm wetness from her flowing tears soaks the side of my neck.

I wind my arms around her, and this feels like a pit of quicksand into which I might willingly lose myself. I close my eyes and pretend I'm not in a boatload of trouble. We remain this way for a long while. She sniffles a few times, gradually quieting until soft snores puff against my skin.

"Bella?" I whisper.

No response.

I shift position, scooping her into my arms. She stirs, making a contented sound, and snuggles closer. Fuck me. I walk across the deck and shoulder the door open, bringing her to my bed where I lay her down and tuck her under the covers.

I grab a beer on my way back to the deck and leave it on the table while I get a blaze going in the fire pit. I pull up a chair and rest my elbows on my knees, staring into the flames. I finish what's left of the Fireball and take a few long pulls from the frosty brew, wishing for a buzz, but I'm stone cold sober.

Twin lights slice through the darkness of the driveway, and I recognize the sound of Alice's vintage VW Bug. She's a nurse practitioner and can afford almost any car she wants, yet she keeps the ladybug going. And it does look like a ladybug—with eyelashes around the headlights and black dots on the bright red paint.

I meet her at the bottom of the steps. "I can't believe you're still driving that hunk—"

Alice holds a hand up. "Don't hate on Ladybug!"

I shake my head. "Want a brewsky?"

"How about something more civilized, like a spritzer?"

"I have a bottle of Riesling in the fridge."

"The one I brought over on your birthday last year . . . perfect." She shoots me a pointed look.

"Nobody drinks that shit, Al." I hold a finger to my lips as we ascend the deck stairs. "Bella is sleeping."

I hurry into the kitchen to grab the bottle of wine, a corkscrew, and a glass. Out on the deck, I pop the cork and pour some for Alice. We sit in companionable silence for a few precious moments, enjoying the evening. I start to relax, mesmerized by the crackle of the fire and almost have myself convinced all is well when she puts her glass down and places her hands on her thighs. Alice always does this when she's about to burst my bubble.

"So, I analyzed Bella's meds."

"Okay . . ."

She purses her lips. "I've ordered additional tests, but the initial results showed Dilantin, a drug for seizures, which when combined with the Xanax and NSAIDs that were also found, can cause severe drug-induced thrombocytopenia. Now if it's true she already had thrombocytopenia, then it's understandable why she's so sick and fragile. In fact, we're extremely lucky the incident that sent her to the hospital wasn't much worse. Bella's platelets are dangerously low."

I stare at my sister, bewildered. "In English, please."

"Platelets clump to stop bleeding. Low platelets equal a high risk of bleeding. Combine this with a few drugs that also screw with platelet function, and you have a powder keg just waiting for the fuse to be lit. An injury that would be minor for someone else could cause Bella to bleed out. I'm actually horrified that she got her belly button pierced!"

"Shit. What now?"

Ali's signature stubborn expression slips over her face like a mask. "I'm taking over Bella's medication. Before you argue, Jimmy isn't here. I don't know what quack he brought her to that would give her such a volatile combination of drugs, but I'm going to make sure Bella gets well. Since you snuck her out of the hospital, and she doesn't have a doctor in the area, I will help you."

"Thank you so much! You're the—"

"Hold it!" Alice holds a hand up, her eyes stormy. "You and Bella will do exactly as I say, or I'm out. I mean it, Edward. I don't feel entirely comfortable with this, but I don't see many options."

"She'll do whatever you say. I promise."

"And you will handle Jimmy." Her voice sours when she says his name.

"You really don't like him, do you?"

"It's not about 'like.' I don't trust him, and you shouldn't either." She leans back in the chair and sips her wine. "You know I have good instincts. When is the last time I was wrong about anyone?"

I shrug. She's never been wrong, and that scares the shit out of me.

We sit around and talk a while longer about mundane shit, and it feels good, almost normal. When she gets up to leave, I walk her to Ladybug, and she hands me a set of pill bottles and a printed schedule.

"I've adjusted Bella's meds, with a schedule to wean off Xanax in her daily regimen. After that, Xanax is to be given as needed. I'll leave that up to you. She's going to need weekly injections of Nplate to boost her platelets, which I can give her. We need to start as soon as possible. Since she's sleeping, I'll stop by tomorrow."

"That sounds perfect." I touch her shoulder, and she looks up at me. "Ali, I can't thank you enough. I'm sorry I snuck Bella out of the hospital. She begged me, and I didn't think it through."

Alice puts a comforting hand over mine. "It's okay. Just . . . be careful, Edward. There's more here than meets the eye, and I don't want to see you get hurt."

As usual, her instincts are spot on. I grab her into a tight hug, partly so she won't see my expression but mostly because I need reassurance. I'm in over my head—I know this—but it won't alter my trajectory. "I love you. Thanks for always being there for me even when I do stupid shit."

She squeezes back. "Love you too. I'll always be here for you."

I stand in the driveway, listening to the sound of Alice's car until it fades into the distance. The night is cool and quiet. I return to the deck and crack open another beer. I try to call Jimmy, but he doesn't answer, so I leave a message. "Bella told me everything. Call me, man. We need to talk."

By the time there are glowing embers left in the fire pit, I've polished off a six-pack, but I'm still sober. I douse the remnants of the fire with a pitcher of water. For some reason, the sizzle elicits images of Bella being whipped—fragile and alone, trapped in the dungeon of a madman. In my mind, the whip snaps over and over, slashing at her creamy skin, leaving a chaotic map of bloody welts. I grit my teeth. I really want some private time with Phoenix.

Heading inside, I check on Bella, and she's exactly where I left her. She looks so peaceful and content with the covers tucked under her chin. Grabbing a blanket and pillow, I head for the living room and collapse on the couch, falling asleep.

I wake sometime during the night. The room is pitch-dark, but I know I'm on the couch because my feet are hanging over the end, and one foot is numb.

The heat of another body fits against mine, a leg tangled between my own, a hand resting on my chest. I don't have to see her to know it's Bella. I'm not sure when it happened, but I recognize her scent. Fuck, my dick recognizes her scent, and I try to shift my pelvis so she won't feel how hard I am.

"Edward . . ." she murmurs.

Soft lips press kisses in the hollow of my throat and along the side of my neck. The hand resting on my chest slides down, down, down, until she is massaging the hardness straining against my sweatpants.

"No, no, no," I whisper. "Please."

Am I begging her to stop? To keep going? I don't honestly know.

I'm fucking lost.

~oOo~

Some readers don't like the direction I'm taking my story, and there have been some pretty rude anonymous comments (some of which didn't make the cut). I don't mean this to be rude, but if this isn't your cuppa, I won't be offended if you flounce. It's probably not for everyone. The story came to me as a complete idea (and have you read the title?). Are my characters flawed? Yes. Has there ever been an island with a high-priced brothel . . . yeah, so why is this so unbelievable? If this bit has thrown you, just wait until the rest is revealed! Besides, this is fiction. I write the stories as they come to me. I've been raked over the coals before, and I'm sure I will again. My promise to readers is that I will write what is authentic to my story, no matter hot those coals are. To those who left comments with their own screen name, I thank you for standing behind your opinion. I'm always open to opinions, and although it won't change the story, I always appreciate feedback from readers and have had some really great discussions with some of you. If you are an anonymous troll who loves to spread misery, please take it somewhere else.

I post teasers and links to updates on my blog and on Facebook in the No Rules Twilight Fan Fiction and It All Started With Twilight groups.

Thanks and gratefulness as always to my awesome betas, SassySue (chayasara) and Wendy wmr1601. These ladies make my stuff much more presentable! And Aleea (Aleeab4u) is baaaaack prereading! God, how I've missed her commentary.

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PSA: Fanfic has made a ridiculous update that will turn email notifications OFF. This is the default setting. You will need to go to "settings" in your FF account and opt in to receive email notifications. Even if you do this, this setting will automatically default back to NO every six months, at which time you will need to change the setting again. Just one more way FF is making our lives difficult.